The life of David may be divided into two periods, the first of which closes with the words, “It came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies; that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar” (2 Sam. 7:1-2). It is this first period of his life that we wish to consider, for the second consists chiefly in domestic sorrows and discipline.
This part of David’s life might be summed up in this way: “Suffering with Christ,” which necessarily precedes “reigning with Him,” and suffering with Christ in the world that rejected Him is the greatest honor to which a saint can aspire. It was faith then in David’s life, and it is faith now, for in all dispensations saints have suffered in spirit with Christ when faithful. If we follow closely enough in His footsteps, we will find the truth of His own words: “If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:2020Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. (John 15:20)).
The Early Years
David is first fully brought into evidence in 1 Samuel 17. Before that it seems that he was known of a few as “cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him” (1 Sam. 16:18). This is a striking testimony on the part of one of Saul’s servants, when Saul and all the rest ignored him as only a youth at that time. This, however, is only a ray cast upon a life otherwise hidden but spent with God. His victories over the lion and the bear were not achieved by human strength or skill, nor does David attribute to himself the feat, for he takes care to add, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine” (1 Sam. 17:37). This speaks of deep acquaintance with God and His power, as well as of thorough confidence in Him, acquired away from the eyes of man and in the secret of Jehovah’s pavilion.
Apparently his family knew nothing of all this, nor did he occupy any honored place in the home circle. Like Joseph, he was disregarded by his brethren, as was our Lord Himself later on. Here, however, we would notice that both David and the Lord Jesus had subsequent joy in the conversion, respectively, of their brethren. As with Joseph when in Egypt and with David in the cave of Adullam, so also with our Lord, not indeed when He was accomplishing His miracles (for in these His brethren did not believe) but rather, if one may be permitted reverently to conjecture, when He went to the cross and rose again. Such is God’s way of glorifying Himself. Thus this early part of David’s life seems to correspond to the years that our Lord spent in His domestic circle previous to His manifestation to Israel. It was a life of secret communion with God, where God alone witnessed the exercises of faith, dependence and confidence — all so precious in His sight. It was the wisest and only proper preparation for public action and testimony.
The Encounter With Goliath
David’s encounter with Goliath may be looked at as corresponding to our Lord’s entrance on His ministry, as He says, “How can one enter into a strong man’s house and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house” (Matt. 12:2929Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. (Matthew 12:29)). As long as Goliath could defy them, there could be no blessing for Israel, but their sense of powerlessness opened the way for God’s interposition, for He was the God of the armies of Israel. The power must be of God, but this power which was to subdue the enemy had been acquired in hidden fellowship with the living God — the God of David and the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But the victory of David over the Philistine giant was not a final triumph; it was rather stepping into the way of much suffering — suffering far more acute than that which might have been inflicted by the world outside, for it was to come from his own under the leadership of Saul. So was it with our Lord after He had bound the strong man; relentless hatred pursued both the servant and the Son. David found in Saul a worse enemy than Goliath, and the Lord, by His mighty deeds and convicting word, heaped upon Himself all the wrath of the Jews and their leaders. True, He had a little band to follow Him when He had not where to lay His head, as had David in the cave of Adullam. But for both, this was the occasion for a fresh start in the wilderness life; from this point both become wanderers. The favor into which David was taken by Saul after his victory over the Philistine (1 Sam. 18:2) lasted only a short time, as did the admiration of the multitude when they said of the Lord, “He hath done all things well” (Mark 7:32-3732And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; 37And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. (Mark 7:32‑37)). Not long after, they sought to kill Him, as they eventually did when His hour was come.
Prayer and Renewed Strength
How did David meet Saul’s criminal attempts to take his life? By prayer. How did the Lord meet the deadly hostility of the Jews? By prayer. Many are the sweet psalms of the sweet singer of Israel, but none more heart-winning than those composed in the wilderness when he was hunted by his enemy like a partridge on the mountains. We need mark out only one — Psalm 63. Millions of tried souls have found their delight and refreshment in it. There we see David under a heavy trial. The land is dry and thirsty and without water; the men met with here and there are enemies, either openly or traitors. Where is the refuge? “Thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee” (Psa. 63:33Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. (Psalm 63:3)). In the enjoyment of God’s goodness the wilderness is lost sight of. It is no longer dearth and privations; it is “marrow and fatness” (vs. 5), and thus strength is renewed.
So, again, was it with our blessed Lord during the day of His ministry. The land of Israel was for Him more barren than the wilderness of Judah, and His enemies more implacable than Saul. On several occasions Saul owned his wrong, but the Jews never admitted any wrong to our Lord. In their war against the Lord there was no truce, no relenting. And yet, when He comes to the end of His path of suffering, He speaks of His peace and of His joy, which He so graciously leaves as His legacy to us who are, through God’s calling, to follow Him. He knew well that without His peace and His joy, the tribulation that we were to pass through, if faithful, would be more than we could stand. He could remove the tribulation out of the way of His people, but if it were removed, there would be no suffering with Christ and, therefore, no reigning with Him. The sustaining power which filled His soul with this peace and joy came from His fellowship with His Father and God — He “continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:1212And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)). Prayer, thanksgiving and praise were all blended together in His requests.
Preparation for the House
At this point David takes another road which will lead him to pre-eminence, to “the city of David,” destined to be someday the city of God and the joy of all the earth. It was God’s way for him that he should lay there the foundation of the future metropolis of the world and that he should have there a palace — “an house of cedar” — and a throne, thus preparing the way for Solomon to become, later on, the type and representative of Christ in the glory of the kingdom.
But with the Lord it was not to be so. When He goes to Jerusalem for the last time, it was not to have “an house of cedar” built for Him, nor a throne set up; it was to receive a cross on which He was nailed. Hence His solemn pronunciation — “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:3838Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. (Matthew 23:38)) — and desolate it has been since that day. This, however, is not to last forever. “Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power” (Psa. 110:33Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. (Psalm 110:3)), and in this divinely wrought willingness they shall say, “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:3535Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Luke 13:35)). It is due to Him that He should have His deepest joy where He had His deepest sorrow — glory and honor where He had shame. And nothing can be lost of what is due to Him — nothing lost of what He intends to bestow upon others in the way of blessing. All is secured, perfectly secured by virtue of His redemption work.
The pathway of suffering for the Lord ended in the death of the cross. But out of death a new path opened up — what is called, in Psalm 16:1111Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11), “the path of life” — life in resurrection, which led Him straight to the right hand of the throne of God, where He sits until His enemies are made His footstool. While all that which concerns Israel and the world in connection with Israel is in abeyance, another work is being carried on — the calling of a heavenly people to heavenly blessing and glory.
P. Compain, Bible Treasury, adapted